


Smell is an important sense

by TheMightyFluffyOne



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Drabble, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-27
Updated: 2019-04-27
Packaged: 2020-02-07 05:03:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18613708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMightyFluffyOne/pseuds/TheMightyFluffyOne
Summary: It's an odd thing, smell. Highly sensitive for most humanoids, able to push you back in time and into a memory with little concern for you for good or ill. Caduceus has been finding himself confronting this fact more and more the longer he travels with the nein.





	Smell is an important sense

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by a thought I had, didn't come out the way I wanted at all. Might redo it at a certain point but a good way to break some of the rust off. Not too terribly shippy I'm sorry

It's an odd thing, smell. Highly sensitive for most humanoids, able to push you back in time and into a memory with little concern for you for good or ill. Caduceus has been finding himself confronting this fact more and more the longer he travels with the nein.

From the beginning with simple things, the scent of himself, his favorite tea and the lichen that grows on him like a dead thing, pushing him back to his family's temple. The feeling of longing for "home" mixing with loneliness at the memories of his siblings and parents leaving one by one as he did. The smell of his staff when it got damp reminding him of the day it was made with his siblings help. Small things, like the occasional waft of particularly peaty earth or a flower caught on the wind reminding him of what he left, and Wildmother willing, what he was trying to save.

However, as it does, over time his smell began to mix with his companions and his new surroundings, tumultuous as the later was.  
After a day of travel next to a certain person he would find himself smelling them and himself due to the nature of his coat. He picked up smells, with them clinging to him sinking in and wanting for a breeze or for him to ruffle his fur like spores. So he found himself remembering Jester sharing him some of her rather squashed and stale doughnuts smelling of sugar and mischief, days later as he rubbed sweat from his face, or the warmth of Caleb's hand as he shook from a strong chilled wind, smelling of fire, dirt and growing things.

It had hit him particularly hard while in the middle of the ocean after almost drowning yet again. The smell of the sea air permeating every part of his senses trying to pull him back into what he just escaped from, back to what he didn't escape from a few days ago, the memory trying to consume him and let him know what he was already aware of. 

It hit him when he noticed his and Caleb's scent had mixed into one, scorched earth, growing things, tea and home.

It hit him when he realized that the smell of Home and the smell of The Temple had separated in his mind and he wasn't able to place when.

It continued to remind him at night when it was time to bed down and he smelled himself on his wizard, scorched earth, growing things, tea and home.


End file.
